The 2023 NCAA Tournament bracket is set and the Tennessee Volunteers, the four-seed in the East Region, are preparing to take on 13-seed Louisiana on Thursday night in Orlando, FL.
As Tennessee continues to get ready for that game near the end of the work week, head coach Rick Barnes and veteran guard/forward Josiah-Jordan James met with the media in Knoxville on Monday morning.
Barnes spoke first and explained his reaction to Tennessee’s draw against Louisiana, highlighting his respect for Ragin’ Cajuns head coach Bob Marlin. Rick Barnes also spoke about Tennessee’s confidence heading into the tournament, incorporating enough rest into the week, playing without Zakai Zeigler, and much more.
James, on the other hand, spoke about returning to the NCAA Tournament and some of his biggest takeaways from tournament trips in the past. The veteran Tennessee player also spoke about Louisiana forward Jordan Brown and the impact that he can have on the contest. Brown, a former McDonald’s All-American Player like James, is averaging 19.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game this season.
Four-seed Tennessee will take on 13-seed Louisiana at 9:40 p.m. ET on Thursday night from the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. The winner of that game will take on either five-seed Duke or 12-seed Oral Roberts in the second round on Saturday.
Watch everything that Rick Barnes and Josiah-Jordan James said on Monday below.
